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-   -   An Indian - On the road (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street-experiences/45013-indian-road.html)

We dont have to copy-cat what others do. But we all know that everyone is good at something. We learn from others, and at the same time we teach others.

So why cant we be like this? Do we need a peoples revolution to fix things?
Half of the problems can be solved if we walk in line!

This is our ugly face - yours and mine.

This is 2 different definitions of Traffic. (notice the Learner L on the right side first pic)

Do you see any auto rickshaws, two wheelers, cyclists, roadside vendors in the second picture?

:)

Edit: My face is not in there :)

In the first picture 90 per cent of those who are driving have education that is below class X. Many got their driving license by putting left thumb impression on the application form (the form has this provision, if you notice). Also they are first generation drivers and their parents never even rode a bus or train let alone drive a car.
Many spit in their own bed room.
The second picture is quite the opposite. The drivers who are driving there had their fathers, fathers' grandfathers drive before them. So they know what's what. They know automobiles for more than 100 years now.
We will be like that after another 100 years.
You might jump up and give the example of the Chinese or the Koreans. India is a democracy, remember. Flouting rules here is seen as a birth right. Most first time flyers and even some frequent flyers here refuse to wear a seat belt, have you noticed? Apparently it's not macho to wear the seatbelt !!!

Tpyical of Indians to say 'they' drive wrongly. What's education got to do with driving or lack of civic sense or discipline? I have seen Accord's and Merc's that don't go round a roundabout to take a right turn.

You will be surprised at the number of totally uneducated drivers in the second picture.

Show the second picture to our government engineers and politicians and ask them if they can give us roads like that.

Also, There are more cars in total in the second picture - but less traffic.
Why - because it is organized

I am not sure if highschool or college education has anything to do with this. A LOT of people in the US are high-school drop outs.

After all, school/colleges in India dont teach you much of civic sense. They just teach you how to memorize a book and pass the exam.

India has more engineers than US - India is not even gaining anything from these engineers. Look at the flyovers - they are ugly.

Lets not jump on US bandwagon though. It is just an example.


People in India hardly knew much about democracy. A president from another country came to India gave a speech - "India is a largest democracy." After that, all the Indians started saying - "...oh we are a democracy!"

Democracy isnt about what you do or what you say. It is about voting responsible government official in office, which most of us dont like to do. Watch on TV, how much interest the other citizens take regarding Obama campaign, etc. If good people like Rajiv Gandhi can be assasinated, why cant criminal politicians be assasinated?

I am a firm believer that rules are rules. If someone break rules, our police should be tough enough to hit the car with danda and break their glass. One danda per violation!! Our police should be armed with guns!
Enough is Enough! Indians need stick and carrot for everything.

But wait a minute, our Police themselves dont know much about road rules.

I just came back from a drive and I noticed this - a Swift was right in the front of the traffic stopped for a red light. Now, there was not much oncoming traffic, so the cars in the parallel queues started moving forward in spite of the red light. This Swift was trying to follow the rules and stay put waiting for the signal to change. But the cars behind started honking and shouting so much that he finally had to give in to their demands and move forward despite the red signal.

That's India on the road. Education, social status, age, gender etc. do not matter. It's a combination of poor infrastructure, extremely weak policing and the "intrinsic" Indian behavior that has created the situation. Some are born with that trait to always flout rules for their own convenience not giving a damn for others on the road. Others who are not naturally so, are taught to be so by their parents coz their parents "have seen everything and they know how things go in India. So you better listen to their wise words and follow suit." And others, who want to follow rules and have always been taught to do so, finally relent to the to the pressures of driving along with a vast majority of drivers who thing differently. Like it or not, that's the truth.

It's a very complex and messed up state of affairs. Yes, we can try being stubborn and follow rules and make a difference in whatever small ways. But we are a very small minority. Face it, how much % of Indian drivers are on this forum? And even amongst us, how many actually drive in a disciplined fashion always?

Wrong.

For a given space, the 1st pic has more vehicles. Also the variety (size & length) of vehicles in 1st pic more.

If you ban 2 wheelers & 3 wheelers, then immediately 1st pic will look 2nd pic.
Like wise, if you introduce 2 wheelers & 3 wheeler, 2nd pic will look like 1st pic.

One more point: Since the speed is low in the 1st pic, the road can take more vehicles. Since the speed is high in 2nd pic, vehicles have to maintain safe distance from each other and hence the road takes less vehicle.

We have lots of such roads as in pic 2 in India now and they have worse jams than in the first pic. When they don't have jams they kill each other in high speed crashes on such roads.

There is a concept in social science called "enlightened self interest" that ensures what you get in pic 2. In India you don't have that. We block the other person and both of us suffer.

I firmly stick to my belief that pic number one is a result of an uneducated society and pic two has drivers who have been to schools. That's the fundamental difference why they have much more per capita wealth and therefore nice roads.

Incidentally I happen to know quite a few high school drop out Americans. Their civic sense and respect for law is any day much better than that of most of us.

Thats exactly what I said.

Have noticed most of the so called "educated" drivers/riders behaved stupidly on road and don't even care!

Apart from 2, 3 wheelers, there is one more demon in 1st pic and it is called white termites (Indica Taxis). These guys will certainly not obey rules even though they are educated enough and know what is right and what is wrong. These are the most common differences.

Also an L board vehicle shown in 1st pic it indicates that the the trainer is also teaching the pupil how to cut across the traffic and not to follow the rules. :Frustrati

If you assemble the vehicles on evening Hosur Road in Bangalore road leaving space like that of 2nd picture, you will need the road all the way to Chennai!!

Have you all noticed that most cars in the second pic have their headlights on in spite of adequate natural light present? Is this some law or just another example of wasteful energy expenditure (or am I missing something here)?

If anyone you been to the road leading to Bagmane Tech park Bangalore CV raman nagar will actually realize there is no relation between education and civilization. The people work in Bagmane tech park are the best educated people in our country. Still you can see they break the rules and ride their bike in opposite way to enter techpark road. As most of them being engineers who frequently visit western countries and have seen what rules means. Still they break it here and feel proud of doing it. Why ? Because we are taking our rules for granted. We just following our leaders ( aka politicians). We know that we can come out of any offense if got a 100RS note. Shame on us!!!

I disagree.

Half of our Traffic problem can be solved through Dicipline.
Driving will not be a nightware and talk about mental stress!
If someone wants to turn Right he should stick to right side.

These are the people who are demanding - AUDIs and BMW to come to India! HAHA what a joke!

The first pic makes me want to Vomit

The difference between civilized and uncivilized society is clear.